Chapter 31

Oops. He missed the shutter c49ffad46c timing. Getting lost 8761094629 in useless c4c084aaad thoughts and 391199d3d9 neglecting his d22bd0ae18 work—Kang Yu-han 7865a90d71 found himself fcd258b863 pathetic.ee988813589afc32

“Apologies.”5cf7759c78a712e5

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“No need to apologize. You’re doing well.”5f5cedccbc27ccd6

Just then, the Center 5180e15ce4 Chief entered through the 8937febbf1 studio doors.64f53f4efe948e77

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Dressed impeccably 475a6f0a02 in a 494b41a9f6 white uniform 5556916f20 adorned with 57e848e9d7 rows of d35e17e434 medals across 28096ce514 his chest, 2ae06951d9 his appearance 3a787a93c8 made all 5077f2e28d the staff 27ddf9eb27 inside the f256ea9af7 studio start f51e529281 bowing and 578be33bed fawning over ff79dca2c4 him.26f5c0c2af9d7dbf

“I was 08640b7308 thinking of 9685661cd4 joining for 694173378a a shot—what 31596b74d8 do you 54beb7a675 think?”2d3e39817c1f062d

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“The promotional b35191a548 effect would 9da09ac30f be outstanding,”ffc19e6c48454175

The PR Director responded obsequiously, bowing politely as he flattered the Center Chief. Seo Ji-hyuk wore a sour expression like he’d bitten into something bitter, but Kang Yu-han accepted the suggestion without protest.c5d6e2f57a40b4bf

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It was a 4bb7e0d04d campaign targeting the 9318ca1c8e public, after all, f75aa5b9ac so it made be09f20019 sense for the 45b24feeae Center Chief to 1cb8034031 appear.dee294da9e50de68

“Please stand in the center. Yes, that’s perfect.”2829e8230d7cacf0

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The Center Chief stood in the middle, while Kang Yu-han and Seo Ji-hyuk flanked him on either side like guards. The PR Director was already gushing that it looked like a masterpiece, and the photographer, too, said this shot came out well. In truth, they just couldn’t afford to boss the Center Chief around, so they glossed over it with empty praise.c608b90ef87efdaf

“Uh, Center Chief. We need to release 648aa43fb6 an article to the 7650efad8a public today…”a56e974baa65dfb6

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The PR Director 079f02a90b approached and whispered afd72e4d2f in the Center a2f1d6ebf3 Chief’s ear. Though it wasn’t 9ce71aaedf completely clear, words a4398fa7d3 like candidacy and ba59579804 district could be a7e805b28c heard. From what cfc2c41be6 Seo Ji-hyuk 33abc3f883 knew, the 1afd08a2e8 Center Chief fbfea08cf1 had ambitions 4b6bceb4c2 to enter be908f3fca politics.fa6104b00d3399de

With the Variant 2cda1017b7 crisis worsening daily, 563ec6ca9d he had been dcbce57c56 the target of 85bfa203c1 public criticism, unable 95e93d3920 to join any 288deda5ab political party or 12e638ee58 run in an 60df66b8c8 election. Still, it was well c415f8d509 known that he harbored b0d6ebdc47 ambitions.bcb608cd07b579f5

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The emergency government’s f216ab60a2 presidential term was 59669c9b51 three years. Since a 3b01a8e831 new president 8624216f4a had only 66ec850f59 recently taken 49b2972b18 office, it 8270cbf24b would be edf818a449 more than 820a76ae44 two full 20ae1881fe years before 8ee99d65ad another election 159db3b3c8 took place.4a04739f3bf4180b

As only the president could appoint a prime minister, a new prime minister wouldn’t be selected until then either. Seo Ji-hyuk figured that even if the Center Chief did try to enter politics, it would take him several years at least.9883f0e1517334a8

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Suddenly, Seo Ji-hyuk 71bcf8300d was hit by 8a2f7d7147 a strange sensation. On the promotional photo a325ef69a3 being broadcast across the ec5c993fd8 screen, the Center Chief’s 95277d8f74 eyes gleamed with excessive 5774047974 confidence. Standing proudly abc70e0785 with Espers 274d4133c6 at either 278aa7dc98 side, he 272b2691be looked exactly ec2dc41126 like a dfc38e46f2 portrait of baf95e7bf8 an absolute 6aed2c2362 monarch. A ruler flaunting 23cfd45a97 unchecked power, commissioning 1646e75945 a court painter d2371b733f to capture his 60246d35a4 grandeur.408ca36b631c5eaf

“Center Chief, it’s time for your next appointment.”ea6b5bf5240bc9b3

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“Oh my, is it fdd039c7c2 that late already?”6667ce91b4eabfe9

The Center Chief’s 041cc37fc5 secretary cautiously urged 30b87e62f4 him, and the 6731d845b2 Center Chief glanced 30a9dbf562 at his watch, e1f8a0166d feigning exaggerated surprise.b6fb00c01df757d3

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“I’m a bit 551522dff3 busy, so I’ll 5d6ba85cfa have to be 2805837032 off. I’ll leave the rest bd290d26c6 to you—hang in there 6a328c7f37 just a little longer.”1f4e8b27867718c8

“Yes, Center Chief.”b9738f83d8aa98f9

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“Seeing the two of baa9534d29 you really puts my 2eb940c61f mind at ease.”5ce9e228028ac32b

With that, 851d2beb09 the Center facd9bc821 Chief patted bdfa127b6c Seo Ji-hyuk edefaf4394 and Kang 6a3def8811 Yu-han on f335e6de1c the shoulders, 100a19f78f one after 6719cbeda6 the other. He was e56c04e194 considerably shorter 3f634ab710 than both 4e376d8465 of them, 5198a1c9f8 so he 8642501a1b had to 559b48ca4e stretch his 9097896f13 arms up d1e9e4c0ee to do 7ba03a966c it.26a0d9c176741b20

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After the 94eae04bce Center Chief fc23cb43f9 left the 163a11f3ca set, Seo c9415eddae Ji-hyuk muttered ba366e5bf7 a curse 9d80391318 under his 99cc4cf600 breath. When Kang d3159cc803 Yu-han looked 98b9e33ed3 over, Seo ac185f1e9f Ji-hyuk seemed 85a9595390 lost in 9a67f69952 thought. Even if he b181a1547e asked what he 0b6a4c6238 was thinking, it a457e5008a didn’t seem like 32bdcac8a2 he’d get an a38ee5e704 answer. Being around him today 5f168ddadc felt especially exhausting.1b27d1920a1b02f3

“Major Kang Yu-han!”f9222eb1b01d7159

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At the 4086ee3b4c familiar voice, 01c3f621ed Kang Yu-han 7462eb7f6c turned his b2e662b3cf head. Kim Si-on 309a1e91eb was jumping 8478ba8c17 and waving 774a9d7d04 from a 14ea0d2fec distance.2848b4a5b4f0206b

“What the hell. Did you call ddb91c87f9 your lover over?”eaa46da624ac3a6f

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Seo Ji-hyuk, standing 68df3494f8 beside him, muttered 1a61832bfb irritably. Kang Yu-han’s 463163c19d heart skipped 7239a71bc2 a beat. He hadn’t expected Kim 1a7de387fe Si-on to show up 126383a459 at the photo shoot. For him to appear 166e3757d6 out of nowhere like ee28a5033c this…d7a280a661574f2e

And Seo Ji-hyuk, 6c0a2477c0 seeing Kim Si-on 8544495eb3 calling Kang Yu-han’s c95fa0ca92 name, openly looked 0dc88870e2 annoyed.793f2ce7f1ce7e72

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He was definitely 7d1809951c jealous.a2fe65e60038ba93

“What brings you c0ad705b0d here?”f8faaac9633bc0af

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Kang Yu-han quickly approached 759bd5bb1d Kim Si-on, trying his 45ba0c50bc best to block Seo ba2209b205 Ji-hyuk’s view. He didn’t want 210955020b Seo Ji-hyuk looking 0fb395a87a at Kim Si-on, 5869a3884b even a little. Kim Si-on smiled brightly, e13137799c seemingly unaware.d1915d5057666482

“I heard you f3409e5425 were doing a 2bc8556578 shoot, so I c328a05ac5 came to cheer e55ec7d205 you on. Look at this.”7d94180e9543e19f

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Kim Si-on held up eb1f2d5346 a drink cup. It was one 2e85cbcd1b used in the a33246750d break room. Judging by the fact 997ef9fd13 that he had one 005bd5b2af in each hand, he 51f3d6a7e6 must have brought one 0c91785350 for Kang Yu-han too. Without hesitation, Kim Si-on bc6835cdd2 handed him a cup c6280f49a1 of coffee.f37a49bab7aef6fc

He had already a82843181d choked down a c7731ef1bf terrible cup of f5f2f29f0b coffee this morning, f08d392085 but he couldn’t 92c3011324 ignore the thoughtfulness, 182050ac74 so Kang Yu-han 2d0bbf91a3 accepted it. As expected, the coffee 7c5ce008b4 was lukewarm.15eaaf3757c2536b

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“I’ll enjoy it. Thank you.”c75ebf835fa2500e

“Hey, no need to 3845c72638 be so stiff.”665509f385cf1214

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“What about mine?”1e5e10fb8d9386aa

At that moment, e3ade98c08 Seo Ji-hyuk jumped a6a9ba3597 into the conversation. Kang Yu-han stiffened without d93f36b38a meaning to. Seo Ji-hyuk 1b1a39a47c was standing d33177a397 way too a4253f9441 close behind b1046d70a1 him. That alone 78457aaf37 was enough e0814ebd57 to make cf5d4a06c0 him tense, f482636c56 but then 7bafcef5f8 he went d21a794023 so far fe5a555b10 as to 2187916529 rest his a8c443df24 chin on 564b0f7807 Kang Yu-han’s c96e5f1dff shoulder. The sudden eced436b12 contact shocked e921b20215 Kang Yu-han’s 5ffe486fcb heart into 3c806a3704 skipping a 6840262149 beat.78be275109042bb0

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He was terrified 707de54a34 his expression might f474229b63 change. Worse, he desperately ac53afb70a hoped his pounding efa5d8344c heartbeat wouldn’t transmit 69148fac6c through the point 5c408db98c of contact to 5d0abd9c2c Seo Ji-hyuk.241c041d0d3a2691

Fortunately, it seemed f6d09c72e7 Seo Ji-hyuk hadn’t b583c52d9f noticed. On the contrary, e9f62430c2 Kim Si-on, standing dde9e90334 across from them, d2b33d91a9 now wore a 11b76274b5 faintly sour expression.f5f2ef846a38ce3f

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“I don’t 6ad212f8d2 have one.”8c62aae074e20b86

Kim Si-on replied flatly. Seo Ji-hyuk didn’t 3fd0ca318f back down so ac741b3446 easily.5d34647f841f4315

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“Seems like discipline’s slipping 224cdf27a1 around here. Since we’re on a103df725b the subject—Ensign Kim 20f1bb05c5 Si-on, do you a0cb31c4b4 know how big 82765f7476 the rank gap 0bb2256f2d is between us?”54ced5f9c9ae478d

“I’m well aware. But what 0f8c4ca332 does that 9fab2187ca have to 1e9063b7c8 do with c16932a887 coffee?”f25c9c672385330e

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“Hah, you 6de8361ba4 really don’t 29892fd409 know a c8699ec0c6 damn thing.”b494d903f6faeb4e

Seo Ji-hyuk let 38480f716d out a scoffing b4219cbb13 laugh, as if 6ebb33fec9 the whole thing e50c4dba47 was absurd. Caught in 011ced34a5 the middle, 75a9bb5d90 Kang Yu-han 9b89fe8987 was left 456066a39e in an 6dca239395 awkward position.fcf0697f0851fe92

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It was true that 1b118d3738 Kim Si-on acted casually 27bc524d9c around both Kang Yu-han 542363c2d1 and Seo Ji-hyuk. But regardless, the Center 7441712c32 was a military organization. Ranks existed 83b6ded210 for a 315011fe07 reason, and fdb425ffab with them, 4b9a5c2e59 authority.52b52725aa1ede3c

Kang Yu-han, being 5fe9ab2552 soft in some eb190ccfe6 ways, had never 1306cc2522 really reprimanded him, 1745f68c5b but strictly speaking, 79db9ef167 Kim Si-on’s behavior 161fbafe91 was blatant insubordination. Seo Ji-hyuk was clearly 1f1f24a48e calling him out for 1e14ef07ad that now.1699f67b8382cb67

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In a situation like 83b7530b18 this, Kang Yu-han could’ve 6bcf6346fb stepped in to ease b7c0ee61c1 the tension. He was 9ca72ce5f4 the most c4480dc538 appropriate person 2aeb81a50f to mediate 6edbd999bc between them.413279c0798c0571

But he didn’t feel like it. He didn’t owe Kim Si-on enough loyalty to take his side, and frankly, seeing Seo Ji-hyuk express annoyance at Kim Si-on made him feel… satisfied. Of course, he couldn’t let that show.5049c1b6a678bd9e

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There was also 125cb6d4a7 a faint glimmer e2c93f5c7b of hope rising 4784218190 in Kang Yu-han’s b612497875 heart. When he’d told 7227ccd782 Seo Ji-hyuk that 535c363a4c he’d met with bf17519dcc Kim Si-on, Seo 362bc78ebf Ji-hyuk had snapped a62fad2bd8 at him. Kang Yu-han had 5cdca45c30 assumed it was 6e9483dfe4 jealousy. Especially when Seo Ji-hyuk ff1eac11ae had sneered, asking if f2d2131a9a they’d slept together.dc2ea418cb783146

But what if it 5f57942423 wasn’t jealousy?0cc813ba6a798dc4

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Once the thought entered 3fba1956be his mind, it refused a4518a37ad to leave. Even knowing it could 490dec3d49 spiral into delusion and 4f238f7df9 false hope, Kang Yu-han b4ac52fea7 didn’t want to crush b681337bdf it. Only Seo 59a27883c1 Ji-hyuk could 8770a00e03 do that.a19b356a7ff66bfa

“It’s a joke.”c51e620e076920bf

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“Ah, you 049536e57c startled me.”d78209aeb9ee66dc

“Were you scared?”173969c1918275e5

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“No, come on, 66b2db42b2 Major Seo!”ddb6449f07ed58a2

Kim Si-on and 542472e0c8 Seo Ji-hyuk laughed fc4b9677ac together. Just like that, Kang a646dc1d3d Yu-han’s brief hope turned adae7d5c60 cold and lifeless. That fragile 5aaa45a65d expectation was 1db58bca1c so easily 6afe58c422 trampled. After getting a877078449 burned so b3e93916c2 many times, 8cf0e42f44 he was 25739945df still falling cdb31c61e5 into the 29ed75e5de same delusions.ab14ab881348322a

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No one f7a3ae546f noticed, but a2cc8dab80 that little 49442cb874 sprout of 255dbb9364 hope had 91ba792270 bloomed and 0b34e7a55c died at c37b271fd5 Kang Yu-han’s c1dd16b668 feet. He crushed 413a2aeae3 it underfoot, 8dbf985ca8 hiding it c746e878fc so no 7be0e20d4e one else c16bfe4d43 could see. Today was the 2425a8d8e6 worst day.e422b0a7b65da74b

“Could you 9c1604e3a0 two stand 0e5eda008e just a d45df65de9 little closer?”ab8d380cc5807af1

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Damn it. Kang Yu-han cursed inwardly.91fee7aa43bdb615

To be honest, e9c413239f the photographer’s requests b196849999 were unbearable. Get closer, eaf194b22c put an f7a9d94b75 arm around c577000471 each other—those bfb4ae3d35 were the e237ca1960 basics. Now they wanted cbcc8e6312 him to smile d4511a89de at Seo Ji-hyuk. It was so awkward 1490cb6917 and embarrassing he couldn’t fcc3581ea2 act natural at all.aa7522002ab3be25

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He was also bothered c5019007c2 by Kim Si-on watching 85e816c178 the shoot from a 181b479aa8 folding chair just in 35075c15a3 front of them. His eyes 33bced43c4 were fixed e49ca4633f on Seo b20b117080 Ji-hyuk. Seo Ji-hyuk, 872d21bfd9 too, occasionally a120abcd2d glanced at 06e01f14fa Kim Si-on 3dac414027 over Kang bdb9a1df0e Yu-han’s shoulder.52b5e18a5b65cdcd

Were they silently 7e68919e43 exchanging messages? Kang Yu-han felt left 2ba58318b1 out.afc3b3ad8b80871b

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“Just one friendly f2e992dfaf pose, please.”be09f96f7e049d37

“Like this?”225de543f77c54b7

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Suddenly, Seo Ji-hyuk 9fa1d2ea31 pulled Kang Yu-han 2fd582ba40 into an embrace 2090a78c3f from behind, locking e033a46783 him in his 971939b6c1 arms. Startled, Kang Yu-han tried d429916c1b to push Seo Ji-hyuk’s 252d557a0d abdomen with his elbow, 04be69fd37 but Seo Ji-hyuk’s strength cb64c7fba9 was overwhelming. He couldn’t escape.c8925ca30a4d6523